Citizens need to know what is in Constitution

Sept. 11, 2012 at 4:11 a.m.

Editor, the Advocate:

Daniel Webster charged us to defend the Constitution, because if it fails, there will be anarchy throughout the world. Very few people know the simple purpose of the Constitution is to limit the federal government and secure God-given rights to the people. Our founding fathers knew of the depravity of man and his propensity to abuse power. The checks and balances we so shallowly hear about in school is more than three branches of government, it also includes the checks of state sovereignty and the peoples morality and input.

Referencing the Executive Branch (president), there are only 12 areas of authority, with three of these overseen or with the approval of the Senate or House. The only way the Executive makes laws is by approving the bills presented by Congress. I do not see any reference to proposing bills to Congress. You may get a different count if you divide the general responsibilities listed.

The Legislative Branch (House and Senate) has 30 areas of responsibility and the only oversight is the veto power of the president. Congress is called the Legislative branch, because "ALL" laws originate there. Also, all spending has to be approved by Congress. Outside of the president's veto, the intent of the writers was to have the moral and religious people oversee their legislator and the states had oversight of the Senate. This encouraged citizen involvement.

The Judicial Branch (Supreme Court and inferior federal courts) has oversight of 12 areas, none of which is to make laws. There also is no explicit statement that they can deem laws constitutional. These are left to the other branches.

A moral and religious people is what makes our Constitution viable. Sen. Sam Ervin said if people of this capacity do not become active in politics, they doom themselves to bad government. The Constitution still works if we use it in it's moral context to call our elected officials to adherence. That right is spelled out in the First Amendment. Anarchist tactics must be overcome with moral input.